This is a fur clip by Trifari from the 1940s. According to Jude Rudoe’s book ‘Cartier: 1900-39’ double pronged fur clips were used as early as 1928 by Cartier. Fur clips have two sharp pins rather than a bar and hook. Some people veer away from them because the pair of extremely sharp pins can dig in. They were designed to go directly through the pelt and then clip securely shut. Nowadays with fur being ‘not the thing’ the question arises how to wear them. My friend and vintage supremo Gillian Horsup (she has a wonderful shop in Alfie’s Antique Market London where you will be immersed in an Aladdin’s cave) has solved the problem. If you take the ends that are on cheap stick pins and push them up over the sharp pins – voilà you have made the pin secure and stopped the sharp ends poking into you. I have so many fur clips I source the pin ends on the internet but you can find them at antique and vintage fairs as well.
This fur clip is unusual in terms of its colour – lime green and brown with a highlight of red in the cabochon in the centre of the flower. It is a single fur clip with matching earrings. Unfortunately, it was dropped when I was showing it to someone and one of the paste stones fell out. It is not too difficult a job to put a new one in but it is a fiddle and a nuisance. If you do want to replace paste I recommend Devcon 5 minute Expoy. You mix it, a word of warning mind, it is true to its word and hardens quickly so you need to work fast. Before I start working with the glue, I work out where the stones are to go and sometimes I do a bit at a time if it is a large area of repair. The glue can be found on the internet.